


Eternal Hiding

by LizzieBlack



Series: The Eternal Series [1]
Category: own work - Fandom
Genre: Dancing, Demons, Faeries - Freeform, Multi, Supernatural Elements, i don't know what else to put, read if you want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2020-09-17 20:11:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20297452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzieBlack/pseuds/LizzieBlack
Summary: There are many things hidden from human eyes. Creatures and worlds that are only ever written about in books and movies. But what if those stories were never stories of fiction? What if the writers saw things no one else could see? What if these writers could see past the Veil into a whole different universe?Behind that Veil, Ruby lives amongst millions of creatures, all thought to be extinct or fictional. Being a widely known half-blood born of both Faeries and Demons, Ruby has been trying to keep her existence under every world’s radar. But when she comes across a group of peculiar dancers, her dreams of a peaceful and happy life vanish with a wave of a hand. Dark figures are kidnapping supernatural beings, coming closer and closer to Ruby’s home. And when the groups of dancers, one in particular, keeps showing up in every place Ruby looks, will Ruby take a step back? Will she forsake the worlds that have deserted her when she needed help? Or will she throw herself into a life of secrets and danger, to save those worlds and show them just what it means to be a half-blood?





	1. Welcome to My Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first ever work on here, but it's also the first ever book I've ever begun to write. Criticism and comments are welcome and appreciated. If any of you have any ideas to make it better, I'm welcome to suggestions! I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes!

I wish I could tell you this book was a fairytale. A book where a few people go through some challenges, maybe save the world, and then finally live happily ever after. Unfortunately, I cannot. Not only can I not lie, but my kind hardly ever gets a happily ever after. If a pair can find their happily ever after, like most books claim, something always comes up to ruin it. Monsters, humans, animals, everything, are all intent on ruining our happiness and making sure we don’t live happily. And yes, I can say humans are monsters because I am not one of them.

My name is Ruby Blackbriar, daughter of Mikhel Briar and Dmitra Blackhaven. I am what everyone calls a half-breed. My father was a demon while my mother was a faerie. Lawfully speaking, I should not exist. Demons and Faeries are not supposed to be romantically involved with one another, let alone have a child together. My parents were no exception to this rule and were killed shortly after I was born. To this day, I do not know why the demon and faerie worlds allowed me to live, but I am still weary of them and try not to get on their radars. Which is why I stay in the human realm, also known as Earth.  
You may also be wondering why my name is not one of my parents’. Well, my parents never were married so my mother did not take my father’s last name. Being the first in my line, I was allowed to choose my own last name, so just to spite the worlds, I combined my parent’s names. Childish I know, but even if I had not associated myself with them, everyone still knew who I was. With my mother’s long raven-black hair, sharp cheekbones and jaw, almond-shaped eyes, and elegantly pointed ears and my father’s bright sea-foam green eyes and stature, I stand out in both worlds. And not in a good way. The only good thing is that I don’t stick out as much in the human world.

The Veil obscures all these ‘abnormal’ features from humans. That is why we are able to live in their realm without the consequences of being found out. There are some mortals who are born with the gift of The Sight, but many cannot handle the secrets and end up going insane. Supernaturals, or demons and faeries, can easily see through the Veil and can use its power as Glamour or Magic. Glamour and Magic are different and alike in many different ways. For one, glamour typically only hides certain things while magic can actually alter them. Faeries use glamour while demons use magic, but on special occasions, a faerie might use magic to change something in the human realms in order to keep themselves unknown. Demons usually tend to stay away from glamour since it comes mostly from Earth and they believe it is tainted by humans. 

That’s not all the Veil does though. It also nurtures our lives and allows us to remain hidden and in control of our own worlds. Faeries have four worlds that they govern with Queens, Kings, Princesses, and Princes. Everybody calls them the Courts. There’s the Court of Summer, the Court of Winter, the Court of Light, and the Court of Dark. Demons have nine worlds to control. Memory, Rage, and The Void are just three examples. Depending on a demon’s home realm, the demon will be able to control more of that world’s resources. My father came from Hunger, so he was able to control the growth and death of plants. My mother was from the Court of Summer.

Without these separations and the Veil, Earth and the Supernatural realms would collide and either kill of every living soul or sentence them to a life of no magic and no way away from the humans. Chaos would erupt in the human world since everyone who did not have The Sight would be able to see us for who we are. 

That is what this story is about. Faeries, Demons, Nekos, Supernatural creatures, The Veil, pesky humans, dark forces, and yes, it does include love. But before you read any further, remember this; THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY. It will contain people who love, will fall in love, or have loved others, but it does not have a happy ending. If that is what you were looking for, you might as well put this book down and find another. I’m sure there are plenty of others that with capture your attention. So,


	2. The Cherry Bomb

“Here?” I ask in disbelief, staring at the building in front of me. The sign above me buzzed as it cast a ghostly red light over us. The Cherry Bomb blinked with a pair of bright red cherries glowing behind the lettering, seeming to mock me as loud, seductive music blared out of the windowless structure.

“That’s what Sparky said.” My best friend, Ash Winterfell, replies. Ash is a faerie from the Winter Court, as given by his last name. He has black hair that hangs in his face and slightly puffs over his pointed ears and bright, icy-blue eyes that seem to look right through you. His skin is as pale as the snow and ice he works with, but unlike most faeries, he’s gentle and caring. Just don’t tell him I said that. Ash is one of two faeries that actually stick around me and help me with my work. The other was Jameson Silverrain, aka Sparky. James is a Summer Court faerie, so he and Ash still have a long way to go on the friend scale. But both have been kind and helpful to me, like Ash was doing right now. “618 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, California.” He said, observing the building with quick, flickering eyes.  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I groan. One of my customers apparently either lived or worked at a stripper bar. Fantastic.

“Unfortunately, this does not seem like a joke.” Ash responses smartly, to which I punch his shoulder lightly. The bouncer eyed us wearily as we stood there. He was obviously human, nothing special about him except his height and build. If a bulldozer could turn into a person, this would be the man. His muscles bulged out of his short sleeve shirt which left nothing to the imagination where it hugged his overly grown body.

“What do you kids want? This ain’t no place for children.” He speaks. His voice is as gruff as one of his stature could have. Ash clears his throat and nudges me forward.

Steeling my shoulders, I walk up to the man and tuck my long hair behind my ear, exposing my pointed ears. “I hardly think we are children, sir. We are here to deliver a package to a William Code?”  
The man must have The Sight because as soon as he sees my ears, his eyes widen and he nods his head at the door. I nod back at him before pulling the door open with a slight creak and step inside.  
Instantly, the music becomes deafeningly loud and I’m plunged into darkness. My ears twitch as the music assaults them and I can already feel a headache coming on. Just as my enhanced eyes start to adjust to the darkness, bright strobe lights cut through the gloom illuminating two dancers on a wide stage and a bar at the far end of the building. The inside is bigger than the outside had seemed and easily fit the hundreds of people and creatures that were piled around the room. The dancers on stage gleam in the lights and bright glitter drifts around them and the closer watchers.   
Ash’s cold presence behind me and a soft hand on the small of my back lets me know he is there, watching my back and allows me to relax slightly and take in everything.

Most of the people in the room were supernaturals, though some humans were flitting around through them. Creatures of all shapes and sizes were also roaming around. Pixies were going after the shining objects while gremlins growled and snapped at people. Small dragons flew over the crowd, sometimes landing to drink or eat a random person’s things.

As Ash and I pushed our way forward, the dancers come into better view. One was a male demon covered in green, glittery designs. Under the shining mask, his eyes glittered a bright blue. Green streaks were scattered throughout his light brown hair while his semi-tanned skin seems to glow under the swirling designs. The second was a female faerie with pointed ears and bright pink glitter. Her skin was pale and her hair, where it wasn’t pink, was a pale blonde color. Both were very clearly dressed, the boy in a tank-top and pants, the girl in a small, white dress, so it must not be a stripper bar. Probably just a dancer’s bar then. Soon, the music came to an end and the dancers bowed together before exiting the stage. The crowd wolf-whistles and applauds as another lady comes out, talking about what else was happening that night.

I nudge Ash with my foot and nod at the door the dancers had gone through. Ash taps my hand once in confirmation and, as one, we push our way closer to the stage. A few demons grumble at us as we move around them toward the door. Ash takes the lead as we reach the door and I sneak a look around the room to make sure no one is watching us. After being sure, I nod to Ash who opens the door and we slide through quietly.

Behind the door, a very dimly lit hall led the way backstage. After a quick check to be sure that no one was behind the curtains of the stage to jump us, Ash and I follow the hall to a series of doors. On each one is a plaque with a name on it. On the right were Phantom, Chance, Phoenix, Jet, and Cypher while on the right were Issa, Eros, and Laurel. More boys than girls then. Ash gives me a questioning look to which I shrug and look around.

A loud burst of laughter sends both of us on edge, Ash halfway unsheathing his sword, while my hand goes to my own retractable sword. The laughter had come from an open room a bit further down the hall. With a silent glance, Ash takes the lead and creeps forward toward the door, his boots making no noise as he steps. Carefully, he peeks around the corner and observes the room’s occupants for a few moments before ducking back and nodding at me. I walk forward, bringing my feet down a bit harder than necessary to warn the people of my approach. The talking and laughing dies away as I draw closer until I’m standing in front of a room of silent people staring at me. The green dancer from outside was curled up on a couch with another boy covered in red glitter. He had dark black hair that was streaked with the red, bright red eyes and tanned skin. His arms were wrapped around the green dancer’s chest and stomach almost protectively. Another boy with white glitter, olive skin, white hair, and very light blue eyes stands behind another couch where another boy lounges. This one had yellow glitter with bright blonde hair, light amber eyes, and olive skin. The last boy sat on the armrest of the couch and had black glitter, black hair, bright green eyes, and pale skin. All the boys were demons, but the girls showed more variety. 

Three girls were clustered a bit further into the room. One was the girl in pink, one was blue with black hair, teal eyes, and tanned skin, and the third was purple with hazel eyes, semi-tanned skin, and brown hair. The first two were obviously faeries, pointed ears decorating the sides of their heads. Small cat ears poke out of the purple girl’s head while a cat’s tail flicks around her legs. A Neko.

“Who are you? What are you doing back here?” The boy in white demands.

“Easy, Phantom. I’m pretty sure she’s just a little lost.” The boy in yellow drawls. 

“I guess that depends on if who I am looking for is in this room or not.” I remark. The boy raises an eyebrow before his eyes slide past me to the doorway. I feel a cold, silent presence behind me. Ash had walked in. The three boys laying on the couches sat up while the two faeries stepped further back. The Neko just tilted her head in curiosity. The demon with red glitter gently set the one covered in green aside as he sat up, freeing his lap.

“And who would you be looking for with a Winter Fey at your side?” The boy in yellow asks, his voice slightly low and hostile.

“William Code.” I answer as Ash turns a cold glare on the boy in yellow. The boy’s eyes flick to me, studying, before he grins and relaxes back onto the couch.

“You’d be Ruby Blackbriar, then. Are you not?” He asks a little smugly.

“I am.” I reply heatedly.

“Liar.” The red boy hisses. The green boy places a hand on his arm gently. “Ruby Blackbriar would never be caught dead in a friendship with any demon or faerie. She would have learned from her parents’ example.” He sneers. I turn to stare at him, my glare almost as cold and murderous as Ash’s. 

“Do not speak of my parents in that way ever again. Or you will know firsthand what it is like to experience Death.” I growl at him. He holds my glare for a few more seconds before huffing and looking away. I then turn to the rest of the room’s occupants. “Now, you all have wasted plenty of my time. Tell me where William Code is.” I command.

“You’re looking at him.” The boy in yellow smirks, spreading his arms. I huff a breath before turning to Ash.

Keeping an eye on the room’s occupants, Ash swings the bag off his shoulder and places it gently on the ground before unzipping it and pulling out a canning jar. Inside are multi-colored lights that swirl together and glow.

“Firefly Pixies.” I say, taking the container from Ash and holding it up. “Twelve in total.” William’s eyes follow the container as I turn back to him. “And the payment?”

“So hasty.” He mocks, shaking his head with a smile.

“I would like to complete the rest of my work for today and go home Mr. Code. Do you have the payment or not?” I roll my eyes.

“Of course.” He replied with a grin. With a move too graceful for a boy, he stands up and saunters over to a coat rack in the back of the room. He reaches into a suit coat and pulls out a leather pouch that jangles as he moves back toward me. When he gets close enough, I hold out my empty hand expectantly. As soon as he drops the pouch in my hand, I hand his the jar.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” I say tightly before turning on my heel and walking away.

“She was kind of rude wasn’t she?” I hear a male voice ask as I continue walking. Ash snorts a little behind me as I push open the backstage door and walk back out into the crowd, pushing my way through to the exit. Checking to make sure Ash is with me, I slam through the exit and run into the glittering night.


	3. Viki's Supernatural Diner

Bright sunlight floods into my room and flickers across my eyelids, making it nearly impossible to sleep any longer. I blearily open my eyes and squint at my ceiling as my eyes adjust to the light. Then a persistent ringing cuts through the silence and I groan.

Turning over, I reach for my buzzing phone. “Hello?”

“Oh, did I just wake you Sleeping Beauty?” Jameson’s voice snickers. “Sorry.”

“Well, Sparks. Long nights do call for long mornings.” I reply tiredly.

“Long nights? What were you doing? I made sure your schedule had you done by ten.” He asks.

“Dealing with idiotic demons and faeries that wanted to argue about idiotic things. Then I went for a run around L.A. for a while.” I tell him.

“Was Ash with you?” He sounds a little irritated.

“Yes, why?” I ask.

“Nothing.” He says hurriedly. “Anyway, you have a new contact. They want a few strands of unicorn hair by 3 o’clock this afternoon. That’s your only job so far, so the rest of the day is yours.” 

“Oh great. Where’s the drop off?” I ask, sitting up and swinging my legs off the bed. Looking at the clock, I see its 11:30.

“Central Park.”

“L.A. again?” I groan.

“What’s so bad with L.A.?” He asks.

“Ash and I went to a stripper bar last night, Sparks.” I deadpan.

“The Cherry Bomb is not a stripper bar, Ruby. It’s a lounge with dancers.” James corrects. 

“Whatever. Confirm the request. I’ll be there.” I tell him before hanging up. I sit in silence for a second before calling out, “Gwen!”

Moments later, a small white object flies into my room and lands gently on the nightstand with a small click.

Yes? The small dragon purrs. Gwen was, yes, a dragon. Not like those big, human-eating beasts, but a small baby-like dragon. She was a pure white color with wide icy-blue eyes. Her full name was Gwendolen, but she prefers Gwen since it’s shorter.

“Do we have any extra un-used unicorn hair from the barriers?” I ask her.

'I believe so. I can check real quick if you want me to.' She replies, tapping her claws on the table.

“Would you?”

She nods and jumps off the table, spreading her wings in mid-air to catch herself and soar quickly out of the room. As she does that, I call Ash and tell him.

“3 o’clock huh? What are we going to do with the rest of the day?” He asks.

“Hopefully just relax. I’ve gotta clean my house though. It’s getting pretty clustered.” I tell him, kicking some clothes out of my way as I walk toward the door. 

“Well, how about before having to deal with stupid customers, we go eat some breakfast at Viki’s and take a walk around the park? Just to scout.” He asks, I can hear him moving around on the other side.

“Sure, when?” 

“Now? Breakfast is almost over.” 

I’m silent for a second. “Okay, give me, like, 20 minutes.”

“Why?” He sounds confused.

“I’m not dressed yet.” I reply.

“TMI, Ruby.” He snorts.

“You asked.” I shrug.

“Okay, 20 minutes at Viki’s. One minute late and I’m coming over to make sure you’re not lying in a puddle of blood.”

“You’re bright and cheerful this morning.” I comment. “See you then.”

Just as I put the phone down, Gwen zips back into the room. 'We didn’t have a lot. But it should be enough for two more protection spells.' She says, holding out her paws with the colorful strands laid gently across the middle.

“That should be enough.” I tell her. “James only said a few strands.” She nods and gently folds the hair before sliding them into a vial. “Thank you Gwen.” I say, tapping her head gently before turning to go.

'Clothes.' She reminds me with a huff of smoke. Cursing softly, I lean down to pick up my work gear. 'A little preoccupied this morning?'

“A little, yes.” I say as I pull on the black leggings and matching skirt.

'Why are you leaving so early?' Gwen asks, laying down on the nightstand to watch me.

“Ash wants to go out for breakfast then go scout the park.” I tell her, shrugging on my black shirt and jacket. Gwen huffs in laughter.

'If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two were dating.'

“Well, good thing you do know better huh?” I smile. She snorts again. “I’ll be back around 4ish.” I tell her as I leave the bedroom and head down the stairs. As I walk, I check all my pockets for my weapons. And yes, I do have weapons and pockets on tights, a skirt, and a jacket. There’s four daggers on the sides of my calves, a retractable sword on my hip, poison darts on my left wrist with a sleep potion sprayer on the right and a medipack on my arm, and a small bow equipped with arrows clipped to my back. A lot of people wonder how all of that can fit in my work uniform. Well, that’s demon magic for you. It took three days, but now there’s hidden pockets all over the clothes that seem to make things disappear once they are put in the pockets.

As I pull my hair back into a ponytail, I look around my home. My house was originally a worn down, foreclosed property that was owned by a human bank. To them, it still looks that way, but with faerie glamour and demon magic, plus help from Ash and Jameson, we got it back to its former glory plus a few extras. Now, it’s a two-story, four bedroom, 2 and a half bath, fully furnished home that sits on 2-acres of grassland. In the human realm, it would reside on the outskirts of Athens, Greece as a shoddy cottage that had been abandoned for 20 years with the roof caving in. Naturally, at least in the supernatural worlds, there’s two doors. One leads to anywhere in the human realm while the second leads to anywhere in the supernatural worlds. The only downside is that in any realm, you would need another supernatural door to get back home since your own pathway will close as soon as you step out. That’s why everyone in the Hidden Worlds needs friends that will allow them to use the door whenever.

When I reach the doors, I turn to the left one. “Viki’s Diner, Los Angeles, California.” I state. The door swings open almost immediately, displaying Viki’s Diner. Viki’s was a diner for supernaturals. Mortal humans couldn’t really eat there, even though they serve food that is similar to humans, because all the food is either faerie or demon food. Mortals that consume faerie food are very likely to go insane and do very stupid things while consuming demon food can cause them to slowly decay from the inside out.

Before stepping through the door, I look both ways for an opening in the foot traffic. As I look right though, I see an olive-skinned boy with bright blonde hair and light, unnatural amber eyes. A demon then. No human would have those color of eyes, but strangely, he looked familiar. As I watched, he slowly turned his head and met my eyes, which should not have been possible. Plus, his stare was very unnerving as I stepped out of the door and into L.A. I quickly duck my head down to attempt to get out of his line of sight. As soon as I reach the door of Viki’s I look back to see if he was still watching. He was. With a shudder, I open the door and duck inside the Diner. Already Viki’s is in full swing as Faerie and Demon waitresses bustle around taking orders and bringing food. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ash watching me from a booth and hurry to join him.

“I think I’m being trailed.” I mutter to him as I sit down.

“By who?” He asks as he picks up a menu, his eyes already scanning the room.

“A boy.” I reply quietly. Ash raises an eyebrow. “A demon boy. With blonde hair, amber eyes, and olive skin.”

“There could be hundreds of demons that fit that description Ruby.” Ash replies. “He’s probably just a young demon who saw a pretty girl and wanted to know who you were. It’s happened before.”

“He just didn’t seem right.” I mumble.

“Okay, fine. I’ll get Sparky to check it out and see what he can find, but I seriously doubt you have anything to worry about.” Ash says as he pulls out his phone. I pick up his menu and glance through it.

“Hello! My name is Danise and I will be your waitress today! What could I get for you two to drink?” A bubbly voice asks. I look up to see a younger faerie with bubble-gum pink hair smiling widely at me.

“We’ll both just have our regulars. Vik will know what they are.” I say.

“Okay! And your names?”

“Ash Winterfell and Ruby Blackbriar.”

The girl falls silent as she stares at me.

“Blackbriar? As in the half-blood?”

“Yes. That’s me.” I sigh. What I would give for everyone not to know me.

“That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to meet you!” She squeals. I wince and smile hesitantly.

“That’s uh… good to know.” I mutter.

“Danise! Order for number 7 is ready!” Viki, a faerie with cobalt blue eyes and light blue hair calls out.

“Coming!” Danise calls back. “I’ll see you in a bit.” She winks at me before leaving.

“Glad to see you making friends.” Ash teases as he sets his phone down. “Sparky said he’s looking into it and to put your earpiece in so he can tell you without talking through me.”

I grumble as I put the tiny phone in my ear. It was uncomfortable and restricted my hearing. It was completely stupid. Ash has a matching one that he’s already put in his ear.

“His name is William Code.” Jameson said after a few minutes. “Same guy who bought the pixies last night.”

“Doesn’t he work at that lounge place?” I ask, a little confused. “Why is he out and stalking people?”

“Not everyone works all day Ruby.” Jameson tells me. “The eight dancers only work from seven to midnight.”

“That’s fantastic.” I say sarcastically as Danise brings our drinks. Ash tells her what we both want to eat. 

“He’s also your contact today.” Jameson decides to tell me.

“Are you kidding me?” I groan.

“Sorry sweetheart, can’t lie.” Jameson smirks. “Hey, Ash. Your penguin friends are attempting to get into your house by the way.”

“They are animals Sparky.” Ash rolls his blue eyes at me.

“Yeah, yeah. So why do you live in Antarctica now? Why not L.A.?” Jameson teases.

“Because I don’t feel like melting in this summer heat.” Ash replies nonchalantly. 

“Melting huh?” I grin. “I’m going to have to agree with James on this. You just have more penguin friends than supernatural or human friends for you to stick around. Don’t you?”

“At least none of them judge me or try to kill me when I step outside.” Ash replies sarcastically. Danise quickly brings us our food before hurrying away to the other tables. After eating, Ash pays for the food while I handle the tip and we head back into the streets of L.A.


	4. Chapter 4: Central Park

After walking the 30 minutes, Ash and I pass under the archway leading into the park. Very few people were walking around at this time of day, so we just walked along the pathways. Ash’s winter coldness made the sidewalks steam slightly in the heat of day and bits of frost coated the grass before he passed and it melted into dew.

“So, I think Gwen and Jameson believe we’re dating.” I break the silence.

“Why would we be dating?” Ash asks, looking at me sharply. I raise my hands.

“No clue. I told Gwen you wanted to go out for breakfast and a walk and she said it sounded like a date. Then when Jameson was telling me about the contact and I told him you were with me last night, he sounded sort of jealous.” I tell him.

“I did not.” Jameson interrupts. “I can still hear you two by the way.”

“I am well aware of that.” I roll my eyes.

“Well, both you and Gwen can get that silly little thought out of your heads. Ruby and I are not dating. We’re only friends.” Ash comments.  
“Ouch. Friend-zoned by your best friend.” Jameson cackles.

“Would it be that bad?” I ask Ash, a little hurt. “To date me?”

“Of course no-“Ash is interrupted by a scream that echoes through the park.

“What was that?” Jameson asks. Ash and I simply look at each other and start running toward the scream. Bounding over the grass and walkways, Ash and I both withdraw our swords. Ash’s is a pale Faerie steel built with Winter power so it seems to leech the warmth out of the air and turn it frigid. It glints darkly in the afternoon sun as bursts of snow and ice float off the freezing metal. My own sword is like me. Half-Faerie metal, half-Demon metal. Being part Summer Fey, the Faerie side burns gold with sunlight and warmth, the complete opposite of Ash’s, while the Demon side is a black metal that puts out an angry, dark hatred. Each of our swords are deadly to Fey, Demons, and Humans alike.

As we come around the decorative fountain in the middle of the park, a weird scene appears. Two people seem to be in the process of being kidnapped while two others try to fight the attackers off. One of the fighters had light brown hair and semi-tanned skin and was fighting beside another boy with dark black hair and tanned skin. A female faerie with black hair and tanned skin and a blonde-haired demon were being wrestled away from the other two. As we get closer, I realize that the blonde boy is the same one I had seen this morning. William Code.

Cursing under my breath, I make straight for the two being kidnapped while Ash breaks off to help the other two males. The girl sees me coming straight at them and starts struggling even more, almost making the two people holding her drop her. The attackers were dressed in all black with masks over their faces and heads. Why are they so cliché? I have no idea.

“Duck!” I yell as I leap forward, already swinging my sword. The girl yelps and brings her legs up to her chest, putting all her weight on the people, causing them to lose their grip. She almost immediately hits the ground and rolls away as my sword bites into one of the attacker’s shoulder, nearly cutting his/her arm off. He/she screams and staggers back. His companion starts toward me until I lash out again, this time the sword goes through his neck, severing the head from the body. Looking around grimly, I see that Ash and the other two boys have already taken care of the other attackers and the blonde boy, William, has taken down his own kidnappers while they had been preoccupied watching me. Ash sees me watching and walks over while the two boys watch him wearily. Ice crackles over the grass as he moves.  
“You alright?” He asks softly when he reaches me.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” I mutter back as I put my sword away. He follows suit and sheathes his sword. The temperature around us raises slightly as the blade vanishes.

“Looked like they were trying to kidnap two and just keep the other two preoccupied.” Ash comments, looking down at the beheaded corpse at my feet.

“Seems like it. But who would want to kidnap an outcast in the middle of the day?” I ask.

“Who said they’re outcasts? They could be from the courts or the Other Worlds.” Ash reprimands before his head snaps up and he glares at something behind me. Turning, I see William Code and the other three walking toward us.

“Who shows up three hours early to a meeting?” William asks when he gets near, his voice is soft and husky.

“The same people that just saved your ungrateful life.” I counter. “If we hadn’t shown up, you wouldn’t be here right now, would you?” William is silent as he studies me.

“Thank you.” The girl says. “For the rescue.”

“No problem.” I nod at her.

“I’m Grace. Also known as Issa at our work. I’m the blue dancer.” She smiles slightly. “This is Anthony, the red dancer and Chase, the green dancer. Also known as Phoenix and Chance. Then, you probably know William the yellow dancer aka Cypher.” She gestures to each of the boys in turn. Up close, Anthony has deep red eyes that seem to burn while Chase’s are a sparkling blue that holds laughter and playfulness. Grace has teal eyes with an underlying kindness along with fierceness. Cypher’s amber gaze is just calculating.

“Good to know all of that. I’m Ruby Blackbriar of course and this is my friend, Ash Winterfell.” I reply, nodding to Ash who tilts his head slightly in a bow.

“So you are the half-breed then?” Grace asks.

“Told you.” William smirks. “Who else would have the guts to befriend Winter faeries and sell illegal things?”

“Maybe the one who hangs out with demons, faeries, and a Neko, not to mention the one buying the illegal things?” I reply. Anthony whistles lowly.

“Little girl’s got bite.” He grins.

“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about these kidnappers instead of who’s more sarcastic?” Chase asks.

“Right. James.” I say. The four of the dancers look at me weirdly.

“Already on it. Apparently, there’s been six other disappearances and kidnappings throughout the human world in the past two weeks.”

“What were they?” Ash asks. William and Grace look back and forth between Ash and I, probably silently wondering if we were insane.

“Two faeries, one Light, one Dark, and four demons. One from Rage, Void, Darkness, and Hunger.” Jameson lists.

“Okay. Keep me posted if anything new shows up.” I tell him.

“10-4.” James replies before going silent.

“We have to go.” I tell Ash.

“What’s going on?” William interrupts. I turn back to him.

“Several disappearances have happened in the past two weeks. These kidnappings are deliberate. I do not plan for Ash or myself to be one of them. If I were any of you, I would not stay in the open.”

“Where are we supposed to go? If all these people are after us, won’t they know where we all live?” Grace asks.

“I don’t know about all of you, but I don’t feel like being kidnapped and sold as a slave or something.” Chase says worriedly. Anthony pulls him into a hug.

“I won’t let anyone take you. If they try, I’ll break both of their hands and their neck” He says boldly. Ash coughs slightly and nudges me with his foot. I nod at him and we both turn to walk away.

“I think we should lie low for a while until all of this settles down.” Ash says.

“Agreed.” I nod as we walk back to Viki’s. When we reach the diner, we make our way to the back where Viki has her doors.

“Ruby Blackbriar’s.” Ash says as he opens the supernatural door.

“I’ll see you around then? I’ll call you tomorrow to see if you’re still alive.” I grin at him.

“Sounds good.” He nods before I step through the door and into my own house.


	5. Chapter 5: William Code

As I step into my foyer, I take the earpiece out of my ear and turn it off with a sigh. Rubbing my aching ear, I make my way to the living room where Gwen was busy clicking through pictures on my computer.

“Hey Gwen. I’m home.” I say as I sit down in the chair in front of the computer. “What are you looking at?” She nudges the mouse with her paws and plays a news cast from a supernatural site.

“Two boys from the Nashville, Tennessee area have been reported missing as of yesterday night. If anyone has any information on them, please contact your local Demon or Faerie Police.” The news-Faerie says before two pictures pop up. One is of a boy with chocolate brown eyes and dark auburn hair with small horns peeking out of the curls. The second is another boy with punky bright, neon green hair and yellow eyes. Both were demons.

“James said two faeries and four demons had mysteriously disappeared in the past two weeks. These must be two of them.” I breathe, studying the pictures. Gwen taps the first boy with a claw.  
That one is from The Void. The other is from Hunger. Gwen comments, tapping her claws in thought. Who would take all of them?

“I don’t know. But I do know someone who didn’t seem too worried about it.” I mutter before taking the mouse from her and opening a new browser window. Gwen tilts her head in question as I type in a supernatural database. Once it loads, a username and password box pops out at me. I minimize the window and bring up a command page and paste the URL from the database into it. “Come on, get me in James.” I mutter. A second later, the computer dings and a command scrolls across the screen. Reopening the database, I type the command into the box. The page freezes for a second before glitching and opening to a search page inside the database. I laugh softly. “Stupid people. Thinking they can keep James and I out.” Gwen huffs as I type William Code into the search bank and press enter. The screen thinks for a second before pulling up a single result. Right clicking the file, I select print before left clicking. As the details known about William appear on the screen, I scroll to the bottom to ‘Known Accomplices’. Chase Stand, Anthony Flare, Thomas Spirit, Grace Venus, Erin Harte, Elizabeth Rose, and Jason Pitch are all displayed. I quickly print out each one before closing out of the database and giving the mouse back to Gwen. She looks at me questioningly. “Research.” I shrug as I grab the papers out of the printer and head into the kitchen. As I sort the files, I grab an orange from the fruit basket on the counter and begin to peel it. Outside, rain begins to pound against the windows and the wind howls across the outside walls.

After I get the orange peeled, I sit down at the table and start to read the files. But just as I was beginning to read about William, someone knocks on the door. Quickly gathering up the papers, I stuff them under the fruit bowl before going to the front doors. The knock comes again from the human side and I narrow my eyes, withdrawing my sword and holding it ready as I open the door.  
William Code himself stands, soaking wet, on my doorstep. His bright blonde hair glimmers and hangs in his face as he peers at me.

“What do you want? Should you be working?” I ask, lowering my sword.

“I- It’s Grace. She’s missing.” He stammers. “Please, can you help me?”

I stand there for a second, just staring at this boy who seemed so untouchable shiver on my doorstep asking for my help. I sigh and open the door further.

“Come in before you catch a cold.” I say, stepping back and putting my sword away. He blinks gratefully at me and steps onto the foyer rug and closes the door. “Stay. I don’t need water everywhere.” He nods and shivers, looking around the hall as I go to the first floor bathroom and grab a bunch of towels.

“Gwen!” I say. “We have a visitor!”

Hrrr? She replies, peeking her head out of the living room to look at William then back at me as I walk back down the hall to William with the towels.

“Can you make him some tea before he gets hypothermia?” Gwen nods and zips into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove.

“Y-you have a d-dragon?” William shivers and I hand him a towel.

“Yes. Gwendolen is a big help around here.” I reply when he wraps himself up in the fluffy towel. “Get yourself dried up. There’s a clothes dryer in the bathroom. Make sure to clean up your mess.” I tell him before joining Gwen in the kitchen.

By the time the tea is ready, William was dry and looking more like himself than a drowned cat. He strides into the kitchen buttoning the sleeves of his newly dried shirt and sits down at the table. Gwen flies over and places a cup of tea in front of him while I sit across from him.

“So, what happened?” I cut straight to the chase. He shakes his head.

“I don’t know. All of us were supposed to be at work by five, but Grace didn’t show up. So I called her. Nobody answered the phone which was odd since Grace is always on her phone. We went over to her house to see if she was even home, but there was no one there either.” William swallows hard.

“What was at the house?” I ask, sensing his stubbornness to tell me.

“It was a mess. Everything was broken. Almost as if there had been a huge struggle.” William replies, bowing his head.

“So she was kidnapped. They knew where she lives.” I say rather than ask. Gwen looks back and forth between us. “Why do you need my help?”

“My friends and I discussed it and we were wondering if we could pay you to… be our bodyguard.” William shrinks down in his chair, the part of his face I can see is red. I stare at him for a second then burst out laughing. He looks up confused.

“Are you all out of your minds?” I gasp, struggling to calm down. “There is absolutely no way I would ever be anyone’s bodyguard.”

“Everyone is scared Ruby. They’re all terrified that they’re going to be next and we don’t even know what the kidnappers are doing with the people they kidnapped.” William says. Gwen frowns slightly before flying off toward the living room. I watch her before turning my head back to William.

“And you think I’m not? You don’t think I’m scared of being kidnapped too?”

“I never said that.” He replies, staring me dead in the eyes. “I saw the way you fought the kidnappers in the park. You had no mercy and no remorse.”

“Because I didn’t feel bad for killing them. They were hurting others and I wasn’t about to let them.” I interrupt.

“And you would be doing that same thing if you were a bodyguard.” William counter-interrupts.

“I said no William. And I meant it. I am not putting my life on the line just for you and your friends.” I tell him sternly. He sighs as Gwen comes back in, dropping a stack of papers on the table. I frown at her.

“What’s all this?” I ask.

The details of the kidnappings. Gwen hrr’s. 'Look for anything similar.'

I give her a confused look and grab the top three papers while William reaches over and grabs some. Reading each paper I start looking for anything that’s comparable.

“There’s nothing similar about any of them.” William says after a few minutes. I frown.

'What if it’s not really similar, but a pattern?' Gwen asks, looking a bit irritated as she looks at the papers. I’m reading the one on the boy from the Void when I gasp. William and Gwen look at me.

“What?” William asks.

“Gwen’s right.” I say, putting the papers side-by-side and grabbing a piece of scratch paper and a pen. “Look. There’s two, now three faeries. And Grace was a…” I look at William.

“Summer. She was from the Summer Court.” He answers. I nod.

“There’s four courts of Faerie right? Summer, Winter, Light, and Dark. Faeries from Summer, Light, and Dark have been taken, leaving Winter. Four demons have disappeared, Void, Hunger, Rage, and Darkness. There’s nine realms of Demons. Those four, Memory, Death, Lust, Hate, and Hell. Only one from each have been taken so far.” I try to explain quickly.

“So… They’re after each place? Why would they do that?” William asks.

“I have no idea about that.” I shrug.

'So all they need is someone from Death, Lust, Hate, Hell, and Memory for demons?' Gwen asks. William seems to pale further.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask him.

“I’m from Memory. That’s why they attack me in the park along with Grace.” He says softly, staring at the papers.

“And the other two? Anthony and Chase?”

“Anthony is from Hate and Chase is from Lust. So they would have needed them too.” William shakes his head in confusion.

'Ruby…' Gwen starts. I look at her in time to see a spark of fear flare in her icy blue eyes as she looks up at me. 'They need a Winter Faerie.'

The breath leaves my body. “Ash.” I gasp as I stand up, knocking my chair over. William looks up in surprise while I practically leap over the corner of the table and run into the living room for my phone. I almost drop it as I fumble to open my contacts and press Ash’s name.

“Please. Please. Please.” I mutter as the phone starts ringing. On the third ring, he picks up.

“Somebody better be dying.” Ash says, tiredly. I nearly sag in relief, grabbing the office chair to keep myself on my feet.

“No one died yet Ash. I was so scared you weren’t going to answer.” I mutter.

“Why wouldn’t I answer?” Ash asks, now sounding confused.

“Can you come over? William is here and we’re trying to figure out the kidnappings.” I tell him.

“Wait. Pause and rewind. William Code is in your house. At this precise minute?” Ash sounds wide awake now.  
“Yes. Come over here.” I tell him before hanging up. Catching my breath for a few seconds, I try to slow down my heartbeat. When I walk into the kitchen again, Gwen looks up.  
'Is he…'

“He’s fine and on his way here.” I tell her with a sigh. She relaxes slightly.

“So, you were doing research. On me.” William asks, He’s leaning on the counter with a wad of papers in his hand. The spot under the fruit bowl is empty.

“Why are you going through my things?” I rage at him, snatching the papers out of his hands.

“Why are you going through my life?” He snaps back. The temperature drops in the room and someone clears their throat. I look up to see Ash glowering at William.

“I would not get in her face if you wish to be alive in the next five seconds.” He says very quietly and deadly as he walks in. His dark hair is mused and it looks as if he had just thrown on a random set of clothes while his eyes are bleary and cold. His sword is strapped haphazardly to his belt, his hand resting on the hilt.

“Heat up a bit Ash. You’ll freeze my sink again.” I say, setting the files on the table and sitting down again. By now, my tea is cold. “Gwen, could you?” I ask, gesturing to it. With a small burst of flame, the tea starts steaming again. Taking a tiny sip, I raise an eyebrow at Ash, who sighs softly and closes his eyes. Slowly, the coldness recedes until its above 50 degrees and Ash sits down next to me. William is still leaning against the counter, glaring daggers at Ash who returns the sentiment.

“So we found out that, whoever these kidnapper are, they are trying to capture a Faerie and a Demon from each realm. For what, we don’t know.” I summarize for Ash.

“That’s why you were so worried?” He asks, his eyes flicking to me.

“They already have a Summer, Light, and Dark Faerie. All they need is a Winter Fey.” I mutter. He nods shortly.

“And you thought they would try to take me.” He finishes. “What demons do they still need?”

“Memory, Death, Hell, Hate, and Lust.” I reply. “William here is from Memory.”

“Will.” William corrects. “I don’t like my full name much.”

“Will.” I roll my eyes.

“So why, specifically, are you here, Will?” Ash asks icily.

“I want a bodyguard.” Will replies.


End file.
